Turret mount



April 3, 1962 H. F. MUELLER 3,027,810

TURRET MOUNT Filed July 23, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig. 4

INVENTOR. HANS F. MUELLER BY WKM Qa 9 c2- 5. MJ-- April 3, 1962 H. F.MUELLER 3,027,810

TURRET MOUNT Filed July 25, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 l4 i I l4 IZ 9 Fig. 3

INVENTOR. HANS F. MUELLER BY w i M cm W United States Patent 3,027,810TURRET MOUNT Hans F. Mueller, Playa Del Rey, Califi, assignor to theUnited States of America as represented by the Secretary of the ArmyFiled July 23, 1958, Ser. No. 750,547 11 Claims. (CI. 89-37) The presentinvention relates to a turret mount or turntable support and moreparticularly to a turret mount useful with machine guns or rotatable gunturrets.

Rota-table gun turrets usually comprise a base or support having acircular opening and a turret or dome-like structure mounted on the basein a manner to cover the opening. The turret is also arranged fortraverse relative to the base by being journaled to an inwardlyextending annular flange of the base. In order to reinforce this flangeagainst gun reaction incident to firing, it has been customary toprovide gussets or vertical plates at spaced intervals to support theflange. It is recognized that the magnitude of the peak pressure fromgun fire applied to such support plates depends inversely on the ratiobetween the flex-ural rigidity of the turret and the stiffness of thebase or foundation to which such plates are attached. As a result, ifthe turret is made from relatively thin material and the base ring ismade relatively very stiif, the peak pressure can become so high thathearings in the vicinity of the vertical plate supports will bebrinnelled and the weld joints between the base and the vertical platesare susceptible to fracture. It is recognized that these disadvantagescan be overcome if the turret is made relatively infinitely stiff andthe base or foundation is made extremely elastic or flexible.

Therefore, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide amounting for a turret which will obviate the above as well as otherdisadvantages of prior art turret mounts.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide an improvedmount for gun turrets which will augment 'elasticity of the mount andavoid local pressure peaks between the turret and the base or foundationon which it is supported.

A further object of the present invention is to improve the efliciencyof turret mounts or turntable supports which are particularly useful as'gun mounts.

In furtherance of the above objects and in accordance with the presentinvention, the inwardly extending flange of the turret base orfoundation which supports the turret for rotation is provided with asupport which is angularly related thereto and circumferentially andcontinuously engages the flange inner peripheral portion. Two preferredembodiments of the present invention are proposed. In one embodiment,the support comprises the frustum of a cone which is disposed obliquelybetween the turret base and the inner periphery of the flange. In asecond embodiment, the support comprises a circular pipe disposedbetween the peripheral portion of the flange and the foundation or basein a manner to lend support to the flange. Both arrangements areconducive to promoting the necessary elasticity for the turret supportand, consequently avoid undue peaks in the pressure distribution betweenthe turret and the turret support.

The novel features characteristic of the present invention, as well asadditional objects and advantages thereof, will be understood betterfrom the following detailed de scription of the two embodiments outlinedabove when read in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a turret assembly illustrated asadapted for use as a gun mount;

3,027,810 Patented Apr. 3, 1962 FIGURE 2 is a central section, inelevation, of a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a central section, in elevation, of a second embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIGURE 4 is a curve showing distribution of pressure between the turretand the base or foundation incident to gun fire.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein similar referencecharacters are used to designate corresponding parts throughout, thepresent invention is shown adapted for use as a gun turret on an armoredvehicle and in which the base or foundation 1 represents the body of thevehicle which supports a turret or support member 3 for traverserelative thereto. The turret is shown provided with a pair of verticallydisposed, spaced apart supports 5 for receiving the trunnions of a gun(not shown).

For purposes of illustration, the base 1 is shown as comprising anupright or cylindrical wall 7 with the upper periphery thereof providedwith a horizontal, inward ly extending flange 9 which defines a circularopening 11. The turret 3 is supported by the base in a manner to coverthe opening and it is journaled to the inner peripheral portion of theflange so that it can be traversed relative to the base. In order toaugment the rigidity of the turret, the portion 12 of the turret wallwhich rests on the flange is made box-like or rectangular in crosssection, as shown particularly in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. Bearingmeans 14 are provided for supporting this rectangular portion on theflange peripheral portion.

In accordance with the present invention, the base of the embodimentshown in FIGURE 2 is provided with circular reinforcing means whichcomprises a frustoconical support 13 disposed in acute angular relationto the flange, that is, obliquely between the inner peripheral portionof the flange and the cylindrical wall of the base. The reinforcingmeans has the minor diameter periphery thereof circumferentially andcontinuously attached to the flange peripheral portion and the majordiameter periphery thereof continuously attached to the base by anysuitable means, such as welding, so that uniform support or pressuredistribution is provided entirely around the flange. With thisarrangement, the resiliency of the base cylindrical wall in theimmediate vicinity of the frustoconical support is relied upon to makethe base relatively elastic as compared with the turret.

In a second arrangement, shown in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, in place ofthe frusto-conical support, there is provided a thin walled, annulartube, ring or pipe 17 together with attaching members 21. The pipe isdisposed parallel to the flange and is supported between the peripheralportion of the base flange defining the circular opening and anotherportion 19 of the base which is disposed beneath the flange by thecylindrical or annular members 21 which are attached to the respectiveparts in any convenient manner. Thus, in this embodiment, the tube orpipe 17 and the members 21 are relied upon to contribute the necessaryresilience and, at the same time, lend support to the flange as areinforcing means.

Fromthe foregoing description, it will be recognized by persons skilledin the art that the present invention provides an improved turret mountor turntable support.

The pressure distribution of a structure embodying the present inventionis illustrated in comparison with prior art structures utilizing atypical gusset type of support in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. In thisdiagram, the turret 3 is illustrated as radially cut andcircumferentially developed and resting on the base 1, the latter beingindicated by hatched lines. The solid line 23 in this diagram representsthe distribution of pressure between the turret and the base of arigidly supported mount and reflects the distribution of the loads Rfrom the trunnion supports 5 over the rollers of the turret hearing asshown at the arrows R. The broken line 25 represents the pressuredistribution which will be approached by a mount embodying the presentinvention. A comparison of the two curves reflects the prior art mountas having an uneven distribution of pressure whereas the broken linecurve shows the pressure distribution as approaching a sine-curvesignifying a uniform distribution of pressure.

It is apparent that, in addition to the various embodiments of thepresent invention described herein, that other embodiments,modifications or changes are possible without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is desired that theparticular forms of the present invention shown and described herein beconsidered as illustrative and not as limiting.

What is claimed is:

1. A mount for a gun turret comprising a base including an upright wallhaving an inwardly extending flange defining a circular opening, asupport carried by the inner peripheral portion of said flange, andcircular reinforcing means comprising the frustum of a cone disposedbetween said upright wall and said flange peripheral portion in acuteangular relation to said flange, said reinforcing means having the minordiameter periphery thereof circumferentially and continuously attachedto said peripheral portion of said flange and having the major diameterperiphery thereof peripherally and continuously attached to a portion ofsaid base removed from said flange.

2. In a mount for a gun, a base including an inwardly extending flangedefining a circular opening, a turret ring rotatably mounted on theperipheral portion of said flange defining said circular opening, andreinforcing means comprising the frustum of a cone having the minordiameter periphery thereof continuously attached to said flangeperipheral portion and having the major diameter periphery thereofcontinuously attached to a portion of said base remote from said flange.

3. In a mount for a gun, a base including an inwardly extending flangedefining a circular opening, a turret ring rotatably mounted on theperipheral portion of said flange defining said circular opening,reinforcing means comprising a tubular ring disposed in parallelsupporting relation to said flange peripheral portion, and meanscontinuously attaching said tubular ring both to said flange peripheralportion and a portion of said base remote from said flange.

4. A mount for a gun turret comprising a base including an upright wallhaving an inwardly extending flange defining a circular opening, asupport carried by the inner peripheral portion of said flange, andcircular reinforcing means comprising an annular tube disposed inparallel supporting relation to said inner peripheral portion, saidreinforcing means having the outer surface thereof circumferentially andcontinuously attached to said inner peripheral portion and to a portionof said base removed from said flange.

5. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein a pcripheral portion ofsaid support is of hollow rectangular cross section and is provided withbearing means for supporting said support peripheral portion on saidflange peripheral portion.

6. The invention as defined in claim 4 wherein said base includes aportion extending inwardly from said upright wall remote from saidflange, cylindrical support means being provided between said flange andsaid tube, and between said tube and said inwardly extending portion.

7. The invention as defined in claim 6 wherein a pcripheral portion ofsaid support is of hollow rectangular cross section and is provided withhearing means for supporting said support peripheral portion on saidflange peripheral portion.

8. The invention as defined in claim 2 wherein said base includes anupright portion, the major diameter periphery of said reinforcing meansbeing attached to said upright portion.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said turret ring includesa portion of hollow rectangular cross section and bearing meanssupporting said turret ring portion on said flange peripheral portion.

10. The invention as defined in claim 3 wherein said continuouslyattaching means comprises cylindrical means disposed between said flangeand said tubular ring and between said tubular ring and said base remoteportion whereby said tubular ring is disposed in spaced relation to bothsaid flange and said base.

11. The invention as defined in claim 10 wherein said turret ringincludes a portion having a hollow rectangular cross section andincludes bearing means supporting said turret ring portion on saidflange peripheral portion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,336,557 McCallister Dec. 14, 1943 2,373,127 Lord Apr. 10, 19452,434,752 Waller Jan. 20, 1948 2,460,321 Walker Feb. 1, 1949

